Southern Poverty Law Center - Hatewatch
Melody Vaccaro, executive director of grassroots nonprofit Nebraskans Against Gun Violence (NAGV), told Hatewatch she and other Nebraskans were “immediately concerned” about the trade, given 88 Tactical’s “history of bringing an anti-Muslim speaker” to Nebraska.
Move: Movement in Omaha for Racial Equity
Melody Vaccaro, Board member and Director of Nebraska Against Gun Violence, talks about the senseless policies and issues of too many guns. Melody also explores the relationship between racial issues dealing with African Americans, schools, and other public places. Too many folks see increased law enforcement as the answer when there are different ways to address this violence without using guns
Omaha World Herald
Melody Vaccaro, a Papillion native and president of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, was on hand at the White House for the signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Vaccaro, a founding member of the state organization, worked with President Joe Biden’s transition team as part of a gun safety research study following the November 2020 election — earning an invitation to the Monday, July 11, ceremony.
Nebraska Examiner
Melody Vaccaro of the gun control group Nebraskans Against Gun Violence said Monday that “the private market” is a bad place for expired police and military gear and that the swap is a bad deal for the city.
Lincoln Journal Star
Members of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence were also present, expressing their frustration with the state's lack of gun control legislation. A founding member of the group, Melody Vaccaro, was given the chance to speak.
“It is OK to be furious,” she said. “We have asked the Lincoln Public Schools repeatedly to send messages to parents, telling when there's a gun at the school, asking parents to lock up their guns so kids can't take them to school. They won't do it.”
KLKN TV ABC
Since the pandemic, more people have guns in our community than ever before, for a variety of reasons.
That’s concerning to the organization Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, which says there has been a lack of effort to make sure those who own guns are doing so safely and responsibly.
KLIN News Talk
Nebraskans Against Gun Violence is speaking out in opposition of LB 773, a bill introduced by State Senator Tom Brewer that would prohibit regulation of carrying a concealed handgun by cities, villages, and counties. It would also provide for the carrying of a concealed handgun without a permit.
Lincoln Journal Star
“This decree is meant to placate those that are avid gun rights activists while shunning children that are seeking refuge,” often from gun violence, said Melody Vaccaro of the gun-control group. “Gun violence is a public health crisis and we support serious funding of research, proven community programming, and using a combination of education, policy, and accountability to reduce (it).”
KETV Omaha ABC
But Melody Vaccaro of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence called the actions political theater.
"These resolutions aren't solving those things but certainly is pandering to people who are filled with violent rhetoric," Vaccaro said.
She said they have the potential to set up unnecessary confrontation between state and federal law agencies and ignore the real issues.
Omaha World Herald
Melody Vaccaro, the executive director of the nonprofit Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, initially found the discrepancy when her organization sought last year to compile statewide statistics involving firearms.
This is a HUGE DEAL that spawned a legislative resolution by a senator and editorial by the paper.
WOWT Omaha
Those who support the president’s executive orders say these changes are laying the groundwork for a safer nation. Those who oppose say these steps won’t do much to solve the issue of gun violence in this country. Nebraskans Against Gun Violence say they support the move.
Politico
“Nebraska, despite being a super-majority Republican-led state, is often centrist and populist in a lot of ways that matter,” said Melody Vaccaro, executive director of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence. “We could really point to very specific examples and tell people ‘This is what preemption does, it takes away your ability to sort these things out,’” Vaccaro explained. “We were able to call one little town, and say ‘Hey, you know, you have this ordinance that says people can’t shoot guns in cemeteries. The state’s trying to take away your ability to have a rule like that.’ Communities know what’s best for them, even on guns.”
March 2021
KMTV News Now Omaha
The bill drew pushback from Nebraskans Against Gun Violence.
“If you can drive away, you should drive away, you’re in your car,” said Melody Vaccaro, with Nebraskans Against Gun Violence.
Vaccaro said state statute already allows Nebraskans to use deadly force if attacked and this could lead to minorities being harmed that shouldn’t be.
“Removing the duty to retreat from vehicles, that does not protect women, that endangers black men," said Vaccaro.
Omaha World Herald
The only person to testify against the bill was Judy King of the group Nebraskans Against Gun Violence. She said LB 188 had its roots in the “Anti-American movement” that spawned the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“Nobody is above the law, not even the State of Nebraska,” King said.
KMTV News Now Omaha
Senator John McCollister says his bill isn’t gun control but a suicide prevention bill.
“The number one thing we can do is reduce easy access to firearms,” says Nebraskans Against Violence demonstrator Emily Killham.
Lincoln Journal Star
During her testimony, Melody Vaccaro talked about all the death and rape threats, and posting of personal addresses on social media of members of her group, Nebraskans Against Gun Violence.
1011 Now KOLN/KGIN
One of the proposed steps is a program to offer free gun locks to all those applying for handgun permits. The program is a partnership with the local Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
Another facet of the plan is public education, including public service announcements being developed by a committee of law enforcement, public health, emergency management and city communication personnel working with Bryan Health, Nebraskans Against Gun Violence and Big Shots.
Lincoln City Government
Task force members: Melody Vaccaro—Nebraskans Against Gun Violence
Emily Killham—Nebraskans Against Gun Violence
Washington Post
Melody Vaccaro, vice president of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, came to support Hill.
She said Cox was a hypocrite for demanding prosecution and a protective order over fake blood while lobbying for open carrying of deadly weapons across the country.
“We think this is the NRA using the criminal justice system to rain terror on regular people,” Vaccaro said.
AP News
Melody Vacarro, with Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, said stand-your-ground laws endanger people rather than making them safer. She cited an American Bar Association study that found no link between such laws and decreases in burglaries or assaults, but they were associated with an increase in homicide.
New Republic
Why Americans Don’t Treat Fatal Gun Negligence as a Crime. Written by NAGV founder, Amanda Gailey
News at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Amanda Gailey, associate professor of English, will be among 10 invitees from Nebraskans Against Gun Violence. As founder and president of the group, Gailey also will have an opportunity to meet the president.
Reverb Press
Where state law already allows for a right of self-defense, according to Nebraskans Against Gun Violence (NAGV), Kintner’s Stand Your Ground law (SYG) extends that right to the point where a shooter needs only to believe he is in danger. He doesn’t have to be correct in that assumption.
Kintner’s “hysterical” comment was clearly an attempt to denigrate anyone opposed to his bill by painting them as radical or unhinged and like so many of the Neanderthals that infest the GOP these days, Kintner is quick to downplay the value of any challenge coming from a woman. But then Kintner is a guy that doesn’t “get” women. Never has. He once described women as the “Biggest Mystery”
Salon
I volunteer for Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, a grass-roots organization seeking to reduce gun casualties by calling for an increase in the “responsible” part of “responsible gun ownership.” In May, NAGV called the head of public relations at Texas Roadhouse, a popular steakhouse, to inform him that a Nebraska "open carry" group was planning a meet-up at one of their locations.
October 12, 2020 - Tactical88 and an Nazi Symbols
November 2, 2019 - Safe Storage and Lincoln City Council